


Natural Born Killer

by luna_trancy



Series: Danger Line [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Crimes & Criminals, Established Relationship, M/M, Serial Killers, gunfights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-02-20 09:11:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2423225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luna_trancy/pseuds/luna_trancy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the fall of his father, Eren is now the owner of Hotel titan.  After marrying Levi, the former hitman of a mafia syndicate, Eren is finally settling down.  But when Levi's father drops in for an unexpected visit, Levi becomes adamant about keeping Eren's interest elsewhere.<br/>But nothing ever works out so smoothly.  </p><p>A second part to Danger Line because I want a serial killer au with SnK's greatest badass (just without having to set up another modern setting)</p><p>Update: This story is incomplete, however I do have an outline detailing the ending</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Married

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ: This fic is not completed. I do have an outline that details the ending.

The lights dimmed and Eren crouched down low, trying to steady his breathing. He pressed his back against the sofa, and looked around it, trying to catch a glimpse of the hallway. A hand on his shoulder jerked him out of his staring and he spun around.

Levi was kneeling next to him, carefully looking around the sofa as well, though in a much stealthier manner. He ducked back down when he heard the door clicking open. Eren's heart sped up and his breathing grew heavy.

The door clicked closed and Levi grabbed his hand.

"Calm the fuck down," Levi firmly. "Don't jump it."

There was the rustle of keys, muffled voices and then the lights flicked on. And all at once, everyone in the room shouted.

"SURPRISE!"

Hanji gasped excitedly and Moblit screamed in terror as people jumped out from behind sofas and the table and counters. They let the balloons fly and threw pink confetti. Hanji squealed in delight as Petra and Aururo held up a banner that read "It's a Girl" across it. Erwin popped open a bottle of sparkling apple juice. Eren and Levi rose together, shooting miniature guns filled with confetti and streamers.

Mike and Gunter ran to Moblit's side before he could faint from shock. Perhaps a surprise baby shower wasn't the greatest of ideas and it ended up being because the husband was faint of heart; not the pregnant wife.

~~~~~~~~~

Things settled down a bit. Moblit was left in a chair to cool down while Petra bounced Bean (Benjamin) the first of the Berner-Zoe babies. She looked fondly at Auruo the entire time, a silent gesture that she wanted one and Auruo tried his best not to blush or hide too much behind Erd's shoulder.

Eren stood at Levi's side, sipping on his sparkling apple juice and eating a chicken salad sandwich. Hanji was excitedly talking to him, Levi and Erwin about the new baby and about all of her back pains.

"And then I woke up one night in so much pain that I actually woke up Bean too. Moblit was so exhausted he actually had to call in to work, which is a really big deal, ya know? Since he's one of the head doctors," Hanji said, pausing long enough to chug down her sparkling cider. "I'm not sure if he even slept last night. I know I did." She rambled on, occasionally gesturing to her husband.

"But it's fine! You're the mom, so you need your rest," Eren said. Hanji sat down her drink and stretched.

"Yeah, you're definitely right. But damn, it is painful. Ah, but it's just so interesting how it all happens—"

"Only you would be fucking happy about pregnancy pains," Levi groaned, rolling his eyes. But what else could he really expect from her. It wasn't that surprising.

"It's fascinating, Levi!" Hanji exclaimed. "The female body can endure so much and it changes so drastically over the course of the pregnancy."

She threatened to get one of her books out on pregnancy and anatomy but Erwin and Levi shut her down in favor of more food, running over to the long table set out with snacks.

Eren laughed, amused by how excited she was, and took another bite of his sandwich. "For what it's worth, I think it's interesting."

"Ahh, of course," Hanji sighed, leaning against Eren's side. "But you're a youngster. I think all people your age have some curiosity about pregnancies and—" She paused and gasped, grabbing Eren's hand. He dropped his sandwich on the floor out of shock. "The baby kicked!"

"W-What?!"

Eren grew still as everyone looked around. He could feel, through the material of her shirt, her skin pull and bulge. His eyes grew wide as the baby moved and Hanji laughed. Everyone ran to her side; Moblit nearly tripped, fearing she was in pain.

"Little Sonya is kicking!" she cried, letting go of Eren's hand to grab Moblit. Petra leaned in closer, pressing her hand to Hanji's stomach and sharply turned to look at Auruo again.

Eren laughed, backing away to stand at Levi's side, interlocking their fingers together at the sweet scene.

"I can't believe Hanji has a fucking baby," Levi said, shaking his head. "Moblit has his hands full for the next eighteen years."

"And then some," Erwin added, nodding in Hanji's direction. Levi snorted.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Eren teased.

"You say that now, but wait when she asks us to babysit one day," Levi said.

"You'll have competition with Petra," Erwin said.

"Thank God."

The rest of the evening was spent opening presents and sharing a mountain of cake. But it all came to an end as everyone still had work in the morning. Petra and Auruo with their law firm. Erd and his car shop. Mike's bar. Erwin at the SID. And Eren had his hotel, with his new co-owner husband.

"Do you think we should have kids one day?" Eren asked, as he and Levi walked into their top level penthouse. Levi shuddered and kneeled by Corporal's side, stroking his fur.

"And why should we?"

Eren shrugged. "Not anytime soon! Just…maybe one day. Have our own family?"

He sat down the chunk of cake he brought home for Mikasa and Armin. Levi sighed.

"Eren, we just came back from a baby shower. Petra was baby crazy. That doesn't mean we should be," Levi firmly said. "Besides, you're not worried you'll end up…"

Eren furrowed his brow dangerously low and Levi stopped talking.

"I won't," Eren firmly said. "I may not know anything about children but I know a bad fucking father from a decent one."

"I was out of line with that," Levi said. He turned away, walking into the living room. Eren followed. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Besides, I think you'd be a great dad," Eren said.

Levi shook his head. "I don't."

"Afraid you'll end up like your father, then?"

Levi inhaled sharply, turning the television on. "My dad is dead."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. He was an asshole. So yeah, I'm scared I'd end up like him."

Levi flopped onto the sofa and started to flip the channels. Eren smiled and sank down next to him, taking his hand in his own.

"I'm sorry, Levi," Eren said. "I didn't want to upset you."

"I didn't want to upset you either," Levi said. "I'm sorry."

Eren kissed him on the cheek. "But I do think that we'd make pretty badass parents. Not in the near future. Maybe…ten years from now?"

"When I'm halfway in my grave?"

Eren laughed and snuggled close to him, stroking Levi's arm.

This was their life. Their new life together. No car chases. No gun fights. Just peacefully running a hotel together. Occasionally chatting about having children. Going to baby showers. The Wings Syndicate was still up and running but stagnant. There was no underground business to attend to.

They were living a normal life as a normal married couple.

"—And the New England Ripper strikes again, for the third time this month."

The woman on the news managed that one sentence before Levi could flip the channel again. Eren sat up, grabbing the remote from Levi.

"Wait, don't change it!" he cried. "I want to hear this."

"Again, Eren?" Levi groaned. "Why are you so fascinated with this fucker? He's—"

"SHH!"

"And how can we be sure it is the same person doing this killing as the others?"

"They have the same killing pattern as the previous victims. The police are saying that this serial killer has no pattern as to who is being attacked but is being identified by their throat-slitting method of killing. Although they started in Massachusetts, their newest victims have been from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio."

"Truly chilling. A modern-day Jack the Ripper. It seems as though they're making a state-by-state stop."

"It's speculated that Indiana, Illinois or Kentucky may be their next area to attack. People in those areas should take note and be cautious."

Eren listened intently with wide eyes. "It's amazing. This person is absolutely insane, doing a total cross country killing roadtrip."

Levi shrugged, still annoyed by it as the broadcasters started to list the current victim's names.

"And not a single person has seen them. No one knows what they look like," Eren continued. "Levi, you have no interest in this, do you?"

"A serial killer on the other side of the states?" Levi asked. "I have no reason to be fucking interested in this asshat. Not until he gets to Nevada and thinks he's badass enough to try anything with us. Then, I'll be interested, hunt him down and kill him. Until then, he can go fuck himself."

Levi punctuated his rant by throwing his arm around Eren's shoulders. And Eren happily snuggled against him.

"So protective! I knew there was a reason why I married you!"

"It wasn't because of my pierced dick?"

"That's the other reason," Eren teased, kissing Levi's jaw. He reached out and turned off the television, tossing the remote on the floor. "A reason I really like."

He slid his leg over Levi's waist and Levi let his hand rest on his thigh. He slipped over onto Levi's lap, wrapping his arms around his husband's neck.

"Do you want to take it to the bedroom? Or ruin another sofa?"

"We have nothing really to do tomorrow," Eren moaned, grinding his hips down. "Let's ruin this sofa and go shopping for one tomorrow."

Levi moaned and caught Eren's lip between his teeth. "Nothing to do tomorrow my ass. Or did you already forget?"

Eren paused. "Oh yeah…We're moving."

Levi nodded and Eren shrugged.

"As if something like that has ever stopped us," Eren said, tugging Levi close. Levi obliged, pushing Eren back onto the sofa.

"Don't argue in the morning about being sore then," Levi hummed into Eren's neck. Eren moaned out what could have been a "yes" and Levi knew his husband would complain about being sore in the morning like every other day.

Not that it bothered him. It was just all a part of being married.


	2. A Night on the Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi go out for their weekly dinner. But being married isn't always sunshine and daisies.

Hotel Titan. One of the hottest casinos on the Las Vegas strip and run by the most obscure couples in Nevada. Though despite the curious tourists, the Jaegers kept their life secret and their hotel management just as private.

Those matters were reserved for the ears of Armin and Mikasa.

Eren had made Mikasa head of security. She kept a firm hand on those working under her and he knew she would only choose the best to work at the hotel. And if anyone had any gall to try and pull something with her security and managed to get through them, they would still have to go through her. She was stronger than anyone else and respect was quickly acknowledged.

Armin, however, was over management and numbers because Eren knew he lacked in some higher thinking areas. Armin knew his business numbers better than anyone and there was little to question. Eren _was_ doing his very best to get better with those numbers, with Armin's help of course.

They were the first two people Eren trusted to help run his hotel. He had known them the longest, going on twenty years and they were definitely going to stay around for another twenty.

But on top of running the hotel, and managing finances, and managing food and small shops and even bars within the hotel Eren was still married. And being married came with a set of problems very different from owning a hotel or joining the police.

"Oi!"

Eren looked up from slicing a cucumber to see Levi holding up two color cards; one in blue and the other in a slightly darker blue.

"What?"

"Which one?"

They had lived in the hotel's penthouse for some time, just over a year, and had come to the mutual agreement that living at work was bothersome. Although they kept the penthouse area, purchasing a new home together was more of their speed as a married couple.

So they decided on a small house, right outside the strip. A place away from the hustle and bustle of the casinos and lights. A place that was home to them. Three bedrooms, two baths, an office space, kitchen and dining room, and a living room. It had a nice yard, nothing too extravagant but fenced in so that the cat could go out without escaping. It was fairly perfect.

Although Eren found decorating with Levi quite difficult and nowhere near as perfect as he thought.

"Oi, brat! I said which fucking one?"

"Holy shit, Levi," Eren spat, waving around the knife. "I don't care. They're both the same."

"They are not. One is fucking light blue and the other is sky blue. There is a fucking difference. That's why their names are fucking different."

Eren rolled his eyes and with a loud _thump,_ stabbed the cucumber with the knife. "Love of my life, I am trying to make us dinner."

"You are cutting a fucking cucumber for a salad," Levi replied, slamming his hands on the counter. "I am grilling chicken and sausage outside."

"Don't undermine my work!"

They both huffed briefly and Levi stacked the color cards on the counter. He turned sharply, storming back outside to the grill. Eren waited patiently for him to return, heart racing. Within a few minutes, Levi walked back into the kitchen and sat the plate of hot food down.

They stared at each other.

"I like the sky blue," Eren calmly said. "I think it'll go better with those pillows we picked out."

"That's what I was thinking," Levi replied. He tapped the plate he had brought in before looking up to meet Eren's eyes. "Are you making the cucumber salad you usually make? With the balsamic vinaigrette and tomatoes?"

Eren nodded. "I am. And I'm making extra because I know how much you love it the day-after."

They exchanged quick smiles, and Levi walked around the counter. They shared quick kisses, chaste and loving, before getting back to their cooking duties.

That was how their lives went. No more fighting with mafia men; just the occasional marital bickering. Their move had had difficult moments and settling in was taking time. They were still tempted to go back to the penthouse, just for the sake of convenience and actual furniture, but they had promised each other no more cheat days.

Even if it meant cooking with limited kitchenware and sleeping on a mattress thrown on the floor. They had picked through the box of new pots, taking out what they needed at the moment instead of completely unpacking it. And they dared not to touch the new bedset they bought together because that required assembly.

It resulted in more awkward floor sex than they knew was possible. But it was home.

~~~~~~~~~

Although they had both agreed to staying in their new house, and after a nasty carpet burn mid-sex they even decided to properly set up the bed, Eren and Levi weren't opposed to going out to dinner once a week. It had become a weekly routine to forget about work and have dinner together. To catch up and get a little dressed up and relax together.

Going to a ritzy place on the strip every once in a while was nice, but they were both pretty fond of the little café by Eren's old house.

Levi held Eren's hand over the table's surface, a gentle smile on his face as his fingers brushed over the silver ring that now rested there. Levi wore a matching one, Eren's name engraved on the inside just as his name was on the inside of Eren's ring.

"Levi?"

"Hm?"

"Do you…ever get tired of this?"

Levi raised his eyebrows at the concern in Eren's voice. "What do you mean?"

"This. Us…doing…boring stuff? I mean…I know it's not fighting big bosses and—"

"Eren," Levi firmly said, "I'm never bored with us. Or you. Do I miss my life as an undercover hitman? At times. But I'm also pretty happy being married."

"Even working for Erwin?"

Levi rolled his eyes. He had taken up a new job at the S.I.D. as a secretary. "Being cooped up all day isn't really my style. But I do manage."

"Do you have to make coffee runs a lot?"

"As if he'd try to make me go fetch him a fucking coffee," Levi snorted. "I'm a little more vocal than an eager newbie."

Eren stuck his tongue out. "You would actually throw a fit in the office? Over coffee?"

"Who are you talking to, brat? Of course I would."

Eren laughed and gently kicked Levi under the table. "You're such an ass."

"Never to you."

"But really…I'm glad you're not…bored with me. Because sometimes I worry and—"

"Eren, I could never be bored with you. I married you for a reason."

The soft rosy flush on Eren's cheeks made Levi smile. It was endearing and sweet and made him wonder how he ever ended up with someone like Eren.

"Did you marry me for my eyes?" Eren playfully asked. Levi smirked as he sipped his tea.

"That's exactly why. Your eyes and lack of a gag reflex."

"It matches up pretty well with your pierced—" Eren paused, slapping a hand over his mouth because he remembered the elderly couple sitting behind them. Levi kept laughing and Eren nudged him under the table.

"I adore you, brat," Levi said. "I really do."

They laughed and placed their orders, still rather dreamily staring at each other when Levi's phone rang. He rolled his eyes and glanced at the screen. The number showed up as unknown.

"Need to take that call?" Eren asked. Levi groaned.

"I guess," Levi said, picking it up and raising it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Levi."

The voice on the other end was cold and raspy. Like sandpaper over ice. And it certainly felt that way going down Levi's spine. He swallowed.

"H-Hello?"

He stuttered. Actually stuttered and for the first time in years. It was a feat to make him stutter and there were only a few things capable of doing it: Corporal getting lost as a kitten, Eren's face when he cums, and almost wrecking his car.

And then a phantom of a man from his past…

"Let's not make a scene. I'd hate for your little husband to worry. Why don't you just excuse yourself?"

Levi inhaled deep, his eyes on an oblivious Eren. He gripped the edge of the table and leaned forward.

"Oi, I'm going to go outside," Levi said, catching Eren's attention. Eren nodded and smiled like normal as Levi stood, hurrying through the restaurant.

His stomach was left in the booth under Eren's unknowing protection. This wasn't real. Because shit like this didn't happen in real life. Not this. Not him.

Levi let the restaurant door close behind him and he started to pace. "Alright, what?"

"Ahh, there you are."

"Don't…Don't play fucking dumb," Levi hissed through gritted teeth. "What do you want? How did you get my fucking number?"

"Levi, Levi, you should know that's not too hard to do."

"Just…What do you, Kenny?"

"Kenny? So we're being formal?"

Levi's breathing grew ragged. It was hard to focus with his head spinning. His mind going 100 in a 0 zone.

"I just wanted to let you know I'll be in the neighborhood. Soon."

"How soon?"

"Not soon enough for you to catch a flight with your little husband and flee the country," Kenny replied. "If that's what you're wondering."

Levi mentally cursed, trying to sound like he had his composure over the phone, but that had slipped away at that first hello.

"Why are you coming here? Of all places?"

"To see my son, of course. You got married, so it's only fair that I visit you. Drop off a gift. Meet my new son," Kenny hummed. "Eren, is it?"

Levi sat down. He had to. His stomach returned, just to painfully tighten and make him sick.

"Kenny…"

"Eren Jaeger. Twenty-four, this year? A little taller than you, let's say five-seven or so, brown hair, green eyes—"

"Yes, you did your research, so—"

"Picking at a loaf of rosemary bread? Currently wearing a white button-up shirt, with a red tie…"

Levi jumped to his feet, running around the building. From where he stood, he could see into the window, see where Eren was sitting at their table, picking at a loaf of bread. He looked out over the parking lot, trying to make out anyone suspicious. Any suspicious cars. He reached for the small gun tucked away in his jacket and Kenny tsked at him through the phone.

"Levi, Levi. Always so prepared," he said. "But I wouldn't dare hurt your little husband here. Not in public. I have more class than that."

"You're a fucking bastard."

"Language, son. I'll let you enjoy your meal now. Just remember that I have a watchful eye on you."

Levi remained silent, still shaking in anger as he peered into the darkness.

"And Levi, let's keep this conversation a secret," Kenny added. "I'd hate for news of my visit to leak out and ruin the surprise. Because then I'd have to kill you. Be thankful I'm kind; I'd kill your little husband first so he wouldn't have to see you dead."

The call ended with an abrupt click. Levi couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop him. There was a sense of powerlessness that settled over him, destroying any control he had. He felt sick. He wanted to cry. But instead he inhaled, keeping himself calm, and looked down at his phone. The number was unknown; he couldn't trace it. Kenny could be anywhere.

Everywhere.

He walked back inside and looked around the restaurant. No one looked suspicious. No tall, dark, looming figures anywhere.

Levi saw Eren's bright face and the fear in his stomach grew more. Eren was perfect and innocent; his personal ray of light and hope for a better future. And his own father was lingering over his shoulder, trying to eclipse that light.

He sat down and Eren smiled. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah…just…"

"Old work?"

Levi looked up at Eren with a shrug. "Basically. Told them to fuck off. Sorry about that."

Eren rested his hands on the table and Levi happily slid his over. Eren's fingers were warm, enough to soothe Levi's worry for a moment.

"Don't worry about that," Eren said. "Besides, our food should be here soon, I think."

"Good."

"Oh!" Eren cried picking up the bottle of wine on the table. "Someone sent this over. The waitress said someone bought it as they were leaving and wanted to remain anonymous. They said we looked like a nice couple."

Levi stared at the wine bottle and swallowed with difficulty. It was a dark red wine; a bottle he was well familiar with as one from his childhood. One from too long ago.

"That's nice," Levi lied, forcing a smile. Tonight was their night. He couldn't let it be ruined by the sudden presence of his father.

But it already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! Hope y'all enjoyed! :3 I'm really excited with the feedback and love I've received for this second part to DL. I'm so excited to get this started and FINALLY write Kenny in a fic! :'D (I know I wrote him in Dark Room but he's going to actually be in this fic oeadfhigdfh I'm excite)
> 
> Also: the Danger Line doujin is still on sale so if you haven't checked it out, you totally should because it's hella rad!  
> You can get it here: http://www.storenvy.com/products/8094429-danger-line-vol-1-attack-on-titan-doujinshi


	3. Rose Petals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a smut chapter honestly

Eren couldn't explain it, but Levi had become more protective over the week. He was walked out to the car more often, Levi wanted to have lunch with him, offered to drive more, told Eren not to go out by himself, refused to even let him go to the store for groceries by himself.

It was like having a second Mikasa.

Except this Mikasa was hard to let go of in the mornings.

"Should I come home early?" Levi asked. "I can. It's not like Erwin really needs me at the office."

"Levi, it's fine," Eren laughed. "I'm going to be at the hotel for a while tonight—"

"Want me to go to the hotel after work? I'll take off early."

Eren sighed, wrapping his arms around his husband's shoulders. "Levi, it's okay. I'm not a delicate little animal. What's wrong? You haven't let me out of your sight."

"It's…" Levi shook his head. "It's nothing. I just…worry about you. That's all."

Eren smiled, feeling warm inside. "I know. But I can take care of myself. I did learn to shoot from the very best."

Levi shrugged, trying to smile.

"I can't help it."

"I see," Eren said, kissing him softly. "How about this: you relax today, don't worry about chasing me down for lunch, and I'll pick up some of those bath rose petals you like so much for later?" Eren tugged on Levi's tie, running it between his fingers. He even bit his lip a little, making Levi flush. He absolutely loved it.

Dating Levi and being a blushing virgin was one thing; being married to the man and knowing what got his blood rushing was completely different and Eren was slowly becoming a master of it.

"Fine," Levi conceded. "But only because you're too fucking cute."

Eren kissed him quickly before letting him go, running off to put his shoes on. He never saw the fallen look Levi gave him.

~~~~~~~~~

"Eren. Eren?"

Eren looked up from his paper and pen, staring at Armin rather blankly. Armin waved a hand in front of his face to catch his attention.

"Hello?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm listening."

"You're definitely not listening."

"You're right; I'm not," Eren sighed. "I'm sorry, Armin."

On the table in front of them was stack after stack of papers concerning hotel finances. Armin was busy explaining it all to Eren since numbers were not his strongest point. But Levi was on his mind and for once it wasn't over sexual excitement.

Eren was worried about Levi. About his current state and actual well-being. Maybe he was being blackmailed? Or hell, maybe Erwin had him on some secret mission again.

"Everything alright?"

Eren shrugged. "Just…marital problems." He tried to laugh it off but Armin saw the weak look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Armin said. "But marriages have bumps and mountains. You have to climb them both to make it work. Things will get better."

"I hope so," Eren sighed. There was a knock on the office door and before permission could be given, Mikasa walked in, carrying cups of coffee. She smiled as she sat them down on the table.

"Thank you," Armin said with a grateful smile.

"Thanks."

"What's wrong?" Mikasa asked. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Nothing."

"You're lying," she said. "Your ears are red. Armin, what's going on?"

"He actually hasn't told me much," Armin said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I just asked."

Mikasa pulled up a chair and took her coffee from the table. "Well?"

Eren groaned. "Levi has been acting super weird lately. I don't know. It's like…he's constantly worried and on edge lately. I don't know why."

"You should sit him down and talk to him," Mikasa said.

"I've tried. It's not that simple," Eren replied. "Levi isn't exactly an open book. Which reminds me, I have to pick up some of those fancy bath petals."

"Going to try to seduce some info out of him?" Armin asked.

"No," Eren said. "Just relax the info out of him. But geez, Armin, you should be a Bond girl with that mindset."

"Don't encourage him!"

Armin laughed, apparently pleased with his new title.

They spent the rest of the day together, going over finances, tying up some loose ends with security and finally going shopping at the fancy little bath soap store. Eren picked out the soaps Levi enjoyed so much and said his goodbyes to make his way home.

He settled into the house and the realization that Levi was somewhere stressed sank back in. He sighed, feeling hopeless. He wanted to help Levi. He wanted Levi to be at peace and to be able to sleep through the night.

He set the rose petal soaps on the counter and rearranged them instantly. He was unsure if he should present the soaps to Levi or leave them in the bathroom. He picked them back up, to take them to the bathroom, when he heard the door to the house open. He smiled and ran to the entrance hall as Levi closed the door. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Eren smiled. "Welcome home."

Levi looked around. He smiled, holding out the flowers as Eren still held the soaps in his hands.

"I'm sorry I've been an overbearing shitlord," Levi sighed as they walked back into the kitchen. Eren took the flowers from him and set them on the counter along with the little bag of soaps. He returned to Levi, draping his arms over his husband's shoulders and kissed his nose.

"It's alright," Eren said. "I guess it's just some leftover cautiousness from your…previous work."

"Something like that," Levi said, rubbing circles into Eren's waist. "Just…be careful."

"I always am. Now, how about we go to dinner and come home to a warm bubble bath?" Eren purred, swaying his hips in Levi's hands. "Together."

"I like that idea. A lot."

~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was nice but relaxing in the bathtub was even better. Levi rested against the tub with Eren propped up against his chest. The bath water was scented with rose and vanilla from the special soaps Eren bought and there was a tall layer of fluffy bubbles around them.

They were all heavy eyes and watery cuddles.

"Please don't fall asleep," Levi yawned, leaning his head back. "Because that would be a dumbass way to drown."

Eren squeezed a rag to get out the extra water. He reached behind him and fumbled around until he stuffed the rag under Levi's neck. Levi raised his head and let it fall back; it was more relaxing now with the rag against his neck than the cold bathtub.

"Whatever you say, hun."

"Thank you."

Eren snuggled back against Levi's chest, letting the water ripple against his chin. Levi brought his legs closer around Eren's body, helping to keep him from completely sinking. When searching for their new house, one thing they both had agreed on was a larger bathtub. They now had a nice, walk-in shower with an equally luxurious bathtub. Eren's toes touched the other end, just barely, with Levi against his back.

"I think we needed this," Eren sighed, looking up. Levi ran a hand through Eren's hair, pushing back messy brown strands to reveal an even hairline. Eren smiled. "Hopefully it'll relax you some."

"You went out of your way to drag me into a fucking bath to get me to relax?"

"It's not out of my way," Eren laughed. "You're not some burden. I like taking care of you. I just don't like it when you're stressed and unhappy."

Levi sighed. "I know. I'll try and do better not to worry you…"

"Thank you," Eren replied, taking Levi's hand and pressing a wet kiss to it. Levi squirmed his hand away to drop it into the water to search for Eren's nipples. Eren laughed, splashing up water as he tried to get away. Levi held him close, trying to stifle his own laughter and remain stoic but was failing miserably every time Eren slipped.

"You're making the biggest mess," Levi said with a grin, pulling Eren back against him as water sloshed around them.

"Well if someone would stop tickling me, I wouldn't have this problem."

"You're my very adorable, very touchable husband," Levi replied, kissing Eren gently. He lowered his voice, letting his lips brush against Eren's. "It's hard to keep my hands off."

Eren bit his lip and fluttered his lashes. "Yeah but I think something else is harder."

"Smooth."

"Are we too married for lame dick jokes?"

"We will never be too married for dick jokes," Levi said, running his hand down Eren's side. "Doesn't make them any good. And they're not clever either."

Eren rolled his eyes. "Killjoy."

Levi kissed him again and patted his back in the water. "I'm getting out. The water is getting cold. And half of it is gone."

"Again, partially your fault," Eren said, slinking away to pull out the plug.

The water started to drain as Levi stepped out first. He ran the towel over his body and made sure the floor was dry before extending a hand to help Eren out. Eren started to drape his arms over Levi's broad shoulders when he was holstered up into his husband's arms.

"Levi!" Eren laughed, holding on to him. "No warning?"

"Fuck, I'm trying to be spontaneous," Levi said, stopping at the doorway to their bedroom.

"Oh my!" Eren mock gasped. "Dear strong, handsome husband, wherever are you taking me?"

Levi rolled his eyes and walked to the bed, dropping Eren on it. They had managed to make time to set up the massive, four-poster bed and even put the mattresses on. The sheets and comforter, on the other hand, were still in the laundry room. Washed and clean but untouched at the moment. They substituted their actual sheets for an assortment of blankets and quilts that worked just as well.

Eren made himself comfortable as Levi tugged the towel away, letting it fall on the floor. Eren gripped the bed, his cheeks aflame as Levi crawled over him, kissing his legs and up to his thighs. He whimpered as hot breath spread over his hipbones, across his happy trail and to his chest. Levi ignored Eren's aching cock, purposefully letting his own body ghost against it without any real friction. Eren squirmed and Levi caught his lips in a light kiss.

They parted, breathless, and Eren kissed him again, tangling a hair in his husband's hair to hold him closer. Their tongues slipped over each other, into each other's mouths and across their lips. Eren let his hands slide from Levi's hair and to his chest, pushing him onto his back. Levi rolled over, pulling Eren on top of him.

Eren caught his lips between his teeth and gave them a generous pull, eliciting a drawn-out moan from Levi's throat. He rolled his hips, pressing his cock down hard on Levi's, and felt the man's pale hands digging bruises onto his waist. Levi gave his hips a thrust upwards and Eren gasped, wide eyed.

Levi laughed. "Get the lube and come ride me like you mean it."

Eren shuddered all over, barely able to keep his breathing steady. He jumped off Levi and ran into the bathroom (they usually kept several bottles of lube and toys in their nightstand but it was still packed up; everything was shoved haphazardly in their bathroom at the moment). Eren grabbed the lube and was pouring liquid onto his hand before he even reached the bed.

He attacked Levi's cock, smearing lube all over as fast as he could as he threw a leg back over the man's waist. Levi held Eren's hips, helping him stay balanced. Eren slipped down onto him, spreading around him with ease, feeling the ripple of his piercings. Eren bit his lip, closing his eyes and relishing in the sweet pain spiking through his body.

Levi sighed as Eren raked his nails over his chest, leaving faint red marks against pale, soft skin. Levi thrust his hips up and Eren yelped as he bounced. He sat up and slowly slid back down Levi's cock, watching Levi's face twist in pleasure.

They caught their breaths, their faces flushed, before grabbing each other and aggressively moving their hips. Eren rested his head against Levi's as he rocked against Levi's body, his body shaking. With a sudden push, Levi grabbed Eren and flipped him onto his back in a fluid motion, leaving Eren breathless. Levi grabbed his legs, spreading him further, and started to pound into him.

Eren gasped as Levi assaulted his prostate over and over; knocking the bed against the wall at a steady pace. Sweat pooled around Levi's temples, making his dark hair stick to his face. Eren grabbed at the pillow, letting his mouth fall open in pants and curses and screams and Levi's name.

With a final, hard cry, Eren came over his stomach, clenching tight around Levi's cock. Levi bit his lip, still hitting Eren's prostate and watching his face twist more in an abundance of sensitive pleasure. Levi leaned down against Eren's chest, dropping his legs, and cumming hard inside of him. Filling him up until every slow thrust made wet, squelching sound.

He sighed hard as Eren caught his breath, draping his arms over Levi's sweating back. Their breathing evened out as silence filled the hot room. Eren trailed his hand through Levi's hair and listened to him sigh, obviously pleased.

"Levi," Eren whispered, "why do we shower and then have sex? We've been together nearly four years. Why haven't we learned?"

"Jesus Christ Eren, what do you have against keeping the mood today?" Levi groaned into his neck. "You know we shower first because I don't want to fuck when we're too dirty."

"Yeah, but now we have to shower again."

"It's not that bad," Levi yawned. "Come on."

Eren was pulled up and they walked back into the bathroom for a quick, lazy shower. Eren jumped out first and barely dried off before crawling back in bed. It took Levi a little longer to feel clean enough to get back into the bed but that was expected. Once he was clean, however, he snuggled next to Eren, pushing his nose into the crook of his warm neck.

Eren placed a kiss to Levi's temple and pulled their mess of mismatched blankets over them. It only took them a few seconds to completely lose themselves to a much-needed rest.

~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Eren woke up to was a gentle kiss on his cheek and the warmth of the sun sneaking in through the curtains. They hadn't decided on whether they preferred heavy drapes or curtains yet; Levi was all for the drapes to keep out the morning sun but the amount of dust they collected made him dizzy to think about. So for now they were dealing with curtains which really weren't all that bad.

Eren found Levi's hand and pulled him close. "Good morning, Mr. Jaeger."

"Good morning, Mr. Jaeger," Levi replied with another kiss.

Eren smiled, his cheeks flushed. He stretched as Levi pulled away with a yawn. He could smell toothpaste and facewash on Levi and knew he had already been up a little longer. Eren picked up his wedding band from the nightstand and slipped it onto his finger; he noticed Levi was already wearing his.

He washed up, otherwise Levi would be on him, and they went into the kitchen together. Late Saturday mornings were breakfast mornings together. Sometimes it was going out to eat brunch; most of the time they stayed home in their pajamas and cooked together. Whichever worked best.

"Ham and cheese omelets?" Levi asked as Eren pulled out their tea mugs.

"That sounds really good!" Eren gasped. Levi nodded and fished everything out of the fridge. Eren smiled, looking over his shoulder.

Levi only wore his loose lounge pants over his underwear; no shirt or socks. He still found plenty of time to work out, so he always kept up his appearance. Not that Eren had much to complain about, his husband was built to perfection. The view certainly wasn't bad.

Neither was the new tattoo across Levi's upper shoulder.

Levi had decided on a watercolored phoenix sometime back and with Eren's full input. It decorated the upper portion of his right arm, with the wispy tail extending to his collarbone and the body flowing down his arm in bold feathery flames. The bird was descending upon a field of white daffodils, protecting the flowers rather than burning them away.

Levi had stated it was to symbolize a new chapter in his life. Reborn from his old wings, to leave that life behind, for something better. To protect something worth protecting.

Eren placed a kiss on Levi's neck, admiring the way his husband chopped meat and whisked eggs. Even the way he smelled because Levi always smelled good.

The doorbell rang and Eren sighed. "I'll get it."

"Thank you, my love."

Eren smiled and hurried off. At least he was actually in decent enough clothes.

"If they're girlscouts, I want samoas!"

Eren laughed as he walked to the door. "I'll be sure to ask!" He called back, opening the door.

He smiled at the stranger on the other side. A tall man, with a hat on his head and his hair slicked back. He was dressed nice; a white shirt, tie and slacks, his jacket slung over his shoulder. There was a suitcase at his side and Eren tilted his head curiously.

Definitely not selling samoas.

"Hello, yes?" Eren asked. The man stared at him, as if confused, before offering a smile.

"I hate to be a bother, but is Levi home?"

Eren blinked and heard a loud noise from the kitchen. "Umm…yes. But I think he's already found Jesus…?"

Levi ran around the corner and stared down the entrance hall, his eyes wide. Eren looked around at him and back to the man, whose face had lit up rather bright in its own way.

"Y-You…"

"Levi, it's good to see you're doing well," the old man chuckled.

Eren laughed. "Uhh…I'm really confused. Can someone fill me in?"

Levi remained speechless. Frozen. His face a mix of fear and anger. The old man smiled.

"Levi hasn't told you about me?" he asked, catching Eren's attention again. Eren shook his head, still confused. The man extended his hand and Levi muffled a disgusted sound from the back of his throat. "Surprise." He said it seriously, mixed with a vicious sarcasm comparable only to Levi's. "I'm his old man, Kenny. It's nice to meet you, Eren."

Eren took his hand and returned the smile. "It's...uh…nice to meet you, Kenny!"

Levi looked like he was ready to faint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter!! Thank you all for the support and excitement for this story! <3 I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!   
> Also: if you haven't checked out the Danger Line doujin, you can buy it here!  
> http://mireielle.storenvy.com/collections/179082-all-products/products/8094429-danger-line-vol-1-attack-on-titan-doujinshi


	4. The Surprise Guest pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is wrong...

Eren watched Levi nervously pace back and forth in their room. He sat on the bed, hands folded with patient eyes. They had left Kenny—the man claiming to be Levi's father—in the kitchen. Eren had questions, that was for sure, but he also didn't want to cause Levi to completely lose it either.

He buried his hands under his leg, waiting for Levi to glance his way.

"I'm so sorry for this, Eren…"

"It's fine," Eren said with a gentle smile. "A little unexpected though. And I think it's a tad rude to leave our guest in the kitchen…"

"He's not…ugh…Eren, he's not our fucking guest. Don't call that old bastard that."

Eren swallowed with difficulty, the look of a chastised child on his face. Levi sighed and walked over to him, carefully cupping his cheeks with gentle hands. He kissed Eren on the nose.

"I'm sorry," Levi said. "It's just hard. It's so fucking hard. That man…he's…he's no good."

Eren offered him a little smile, trying to comfort him. He knew it did nothing by the look on Levi's face.

"Levi…I always thought…your father…."

"He is," Levi said. "He's dead. That man sitting in there is my stepfather. Adoptive father. Whatever the fuck you want to call him. Just…someone who stood in because my birth father was too sorry to stand by my mother. Kenny…helped take care of me. But there was more fucking arguing than anything. It made things…difficult growing up. It was just…he's no fucking good, Eren."

"So you just said…he was dead instead?"

Levi nodded, his brow knit tight in frustration. He pressed his forehead to Eren's, leaning against him. Eren raised his hands to Levi's side, pulling him into a gentle hug.

"Levi…it's okay. I mean…I understand you dislike the guy. I know all about hating your paternal figures, trust me. But maybe things have changed? Maybe…he'll be better this time?"

"I want to believe this bastard has changed. I do, Eren, but…fuck…"

He pulled away, running his hands through his hair. Eren sighed and stood up, pulling the robe he had thrown on tighter around his shoulders.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Eren said gently. "We can't let him just sit out there alone. It's rude, no matter how you cut it."

"Eren, he's my problem—"

"I know," Eren firmly said. "He's your problem. But I'm your husband so he's sort of my problem now, too. Let me help."

Levi exhaled, sitting down on the bed with slumped, defeated shoulders. Eren smiled, kissing him on the head, before walking to the door.

He put on a warm smile as he went into the kitchen, seeing Kenny sitting patiently at the table. He was sipping his coffee, scratching Corporal under his chin. The cat was purring softly, but he certainly didn't look pleased with the affection.

"I'm sorry, sir," Eren said, walking closer. "Levi hasn't been feeling all that well, so you'll have to excuse him."

"It's quite alright," Kenny said with a smile. "It's nothing too new from him. Pretending to be fine when he's not. He used to do that a lot as a child. He went to school with more fevers than I can remember."

Eren laughed a little. "That sounds like him. Never able to admit that he's really sick."

"If I would've known, I would have waited before visiting. I'm sorry to intrude."

"Oh no!" Eren gasped. "It's fine, really. I just didn't know…?"

"Levi didn't tell you then?" Kenny sighed. "I spoke with him a few days ago and asked him if it would be fine with you if I visited since I was in town. He must have forgotten."

"Silly thing," Eren said nervously. "But it's definitely fine with me. Don't leave because of me, please. You're not intruding."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely!"

"Eren."

Eren looked around as Levi stomped into the room. His grey eyes fell on Kenny's face. Eren didn't know what was the truth, but judging by the looks on their faces, something was amiss. He didn't want to encroach, but he also had to support Levi if he had to; even if Kenny did seem rather nice in his own way.

"I'd like to have a word with you," Levi said, directing his gaze at Kenny.

Kenny smiled, still petting Corporal. "Well, go ahead."

"In private."

"You're married, aren't you?" Kenny asked. "Shouldn't anything you say be said in front of your husband?"

Again, there was an exchange of a look. Something Eren couldn't pinpoint but something that made him uncomfortable, too.

"It's fine," Eren said with a smile. "I'll go…start the laundry!"

"No," Levi said. "Kenny, come with me."

He turned, storming off towards the hallway. Kenny gave Eren a worrisome smile before rising to follow Levi.

Eren watched the two of them disappear down the hallway; the sound of the door slamming shut soon following. He swallowed nervously, picking Corporal up from the table. Something was definitely wrong. Something was unsettling in his stomach.

Levi was distressed. And that, in turn, made Eren worry. However, Kenny did have a point: Levi should be able to discuss these things with him. Eren would worry about that later.

~~~~~~~~~

Eren cleaned up the kitchen while they spoke. He made a potato hash, something easy to be warmed up, with asparagus, a light cheese and peppers. He didn't want Levi to be hungry all day. And certainly not with his so-called father visiting. He didn't feel like trying to finish cooking their omelet breakfast; that was already ruined.

Eren heard the door to the backroom open and close. He shuddered, stirring the hash in the bowl as Levi walked up to the counter. Eren smiled at him.

"Well?"

Levi inhaled sharply, a rather unhappy look on his face. "I uh…I forgot that I spoke with him. A few days ago."

Eren stared in shock. He felt it in his gut. The look on Levi's face said it all but there was the worry in his voice, too.

"Oh?"

"It slipped my mind that he was visiting," Levi said. "And if I recall, I told him he could stay with us."

Eren stopped stirring and looked at Levi in confusion. Just moments ago, his husband was infuriated at their situation. And now suddenly, he was perfectly fine with letting this man stay with them. Nothing added up. Eren wasn't in the police force long, but he knew enough to pick up on suspicious behavior.

Corporal meowed loudly, sitting by Eren's feet with a hopeful look in his eyes that a piece of food would fall. The noise broke Eren from his daze of confusion.

"Levi…," Eren whispered, leaning in. "What's going on? Is this man…Is he someone shady?"

Levi shook his head, gripping the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white.

"He's fine," he replied.

"Levi, I am your husband!" Eren spat. He slammed the spoon on the counter, punctuating his fury. "You should be able to discuss these things with me."

"I am!" Levi hissed back. "And I'm telling you…that I spoke with the old bastard a few days ago and I agreed to letting him stay with us. It would be rude of me to go back on that."

"Dear God, he can stay at the hotel. It's not like it'll be fucking expensive!"

Levi swallowed like he wanted to keep arguing. No, like he wanted to say something; not argue. He held back whatever it was and looked away. He picked up the spoon and gave the hash a stir.

"It would be rude, Eren. That's final."

Eren took a long breath, trying to remain calm. He looked over his shoulder as the old man, Kenny, walked past the kitchen. He tipped his head to Eren with a grin on his haggard face as he walked to the rental car outside.

Eren returned the smile, out of being courteous, but inside he was fuming. Not just at the old man, but at his own husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the mini-hiatus this story took! However, with the completion of SoT I have WAY more time to work on this!!  
> Also: this chapter was short, but I'm doing a fast update with this. Expect the next chapter soon!


	5. The Surprise Guest pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little insight to Levi and Kenny's relationship...

Eren stayed on his side of the bed, not daring to venture over to Levi's side. No cuddles or midnight kisses. He couldn't sleep well, knowing that Levi's apparently estranged stepfather was sleeping on the other side of the house. It didn't feel right. It was unsettling.

Especially when Levi put Corporal and the litter box in their room, locking the door after him.

Eren rolled over, looking at Levi's dark form. He was asleep, judging by the soft snore coming from him. Corporal slept on the foot of the bed in between their feet, like always. At least that was still normal.

However, sleeping so far away from Levi made Eren sad, despite their current situation. He slid close, wrapping his arm around Levi's waist. He could be upset all he wanted, but there was only so much anger he could hold towards the man he loved. He knew that there was something more under the surface. And he knew—hoped— that Levi would eventually tell him.

He placed a gentle kiss on the nape of Levi's neck.

"I love you," Eren whispered. "I really do and I'm sorry for being upset. I hope…things work out with you and your father. And please…share things with me. Don't keep me in the dark about things."

He ran his hand over Levi's hair, kissing him once again, before snuggling into his back. He knew Levi was asleep but maybe, just maybe, he heard those words in his dreams.

~~~~~~~~~

Eren woke up early to make breakfast, not wanting Levi to go to work on an empty stomach nor for Kenny to see him as being inhospitable. He made pancakes with a strawberry compote on the side. He was pleased with his growing ability to cook; something he had learned from Levi and together they were expanding on it. However, he always liked to surprise Levi whenever he could.

Of course now he was also cooking for Kenny so a bit of the romantic surprise was ruined.

"Good morning."

Eren looked around as Levi walked into the kitchen. He sighed, going back to pouring pancake mix on the skillet. Arms snaked around his waist and Eren yelped a little as he felt Levi press his head against his shoulder. The man was silent, simply holding Eren close as the batter sizzled.

A smile spread across Eren's face. He took Levi's hand, raising it to his lips, and let it fall back to its place around his waist. No words were needed for Eren to feel Levi's emotions.

He simply knew that his husband was apologizing. Loving on him. Crying to him. Comforting him. Comforting himself.

"Oh—I hope I'm not interrupting."

And just like that, the moment broke.

Levi let Eren go, walking to the table and to his cup of coffee that had been set out. Kenny walked over to the kitchen table as well, a smile on his face. He said something to Levi and the two of them started talking, too low for Eren to hear.

He fixed their plates and took them to the table before fixing his own.

"How long are you in town for?" Eren asked, sitting down. Kenny finished chewing and took a sip of coffee before looking up to Eren.

"Just for two weeks," he said. "This is delicious by the way."

"Well—Thank you," Eren said. The flattery didn't stop his thought process.

"What are some good places to visit? I'd like to do some sightseeing while I'm here," Kenny continued.

"It really depends, I guess," Eren replied. "I mean…if you want food, then definitely the strip. Like the Paris hotel or New York New York."

"Are you still hungry, love?" Levi asked.

"No!" Eren cried. "I'm throwing out suggestions that just so happen to be food related! If you want more historical, then there's the Hoover Dam too."

Kenny laughed into his coffee. Levi rolled his eyes and checked his watch.

"What time are you leaving?" he asked, looking at Kenny. The old man checked his own watch.

"Whenever I'm kicked out. I don't want to linger around the house without anyone here," Kenny replied.

"You can leave when I go," Eren said. "Just ride with me to work. It'll be a lot easier on you since you don't know the area—"

"No, no," Levi interjected. "Absolutely not. He's my responsibility. I'll take him."

"Yeah, but you're going to be in an office all day," Eren said. "It doesn't make sense—"

"Eren," Levi snapped, "no. I'll do it."

"But Levi—"

"But nothing. Drop it."

Eren inhaled and sank into his seat. He stared down at his food, unable to finish eating. He felt chastised and it showed. He remained silent, not wanting to continue the conversation and have Levi get upset again.

"It's fine," Kenny said. "Next time, Eren."

~~~~~~~~~

Eren listened to the sound of running water from their bedroom. It was late and everyone was back at the house after another day. Levi was busy in the shower and hadn't said much about his day. Eren sat in the kitchen, drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

He honestly felt like he spent too much time in the kitchen as of late. As much as he enjoyed it, it had become something of a safe place for him. Somewhere he could wind down from the day. Granted, he used to spend a lot of his winding down on the kitchen table with his legs in the air, accompanied by Levi.

But with Kenny around, that had been out of the question.

Three days went by since Kenny came to visit and nothing had changed. Levi was still on edge, still snapping orders. Eren hated it. He felt guilty for even suggesting anything in Levi's presence because it was quickly shot down.

He wiped his cheek and stared back into his cup. He knew being married would be difficult. He just didn't expect it to be so difficult so soon. Even Mikasa and Armin thought it was a little soon for him to be having marital problems.

There was shuffling and Eren looked up. Kenny walked into the kitchen, looking rather tired. He glanced at Eren and Eren smiled at him.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"You're not," Eren said. "I was just…having a cup of hot chocolate."

"I was going for a glass of water, if that's okay."

"Sure thing," Eren said, getting to his feet. "Let me—"

"There's no need," Kenny said. "It's just water."

Eren hesitated, slowly sitting back down. "Well…if you say so. I just don't want to be a bad host…"

"You're not. In any way. Don't overwork yourself," Kenny said.

"I won't…"

Kenny made a face, walking over to the table. He sat down and took a sip of his water.

"You seem very distressed. Have you talked with Levi?"

"I…I have but it's just….mm…He's been on edge lately so it's hard."

"It seems like it."

Eren shrugged, looking back at his drink. "I feel like I did something wrong…"

Kenny shook his head. "You didn't I'm sure. Levi just has his moments. Give him some time."

"Was that how he was…growing up?"

"Mn. Here and there. He was just a little shit but now…he's still a little shit. He's just older with a job."

Eren laughed lightly. "I guess he does have his moments…"

Eren wanted to ask just what happened between them to make Levi hate him so much. Kenny didn't seem terrible. Not too terrible, at least. But Eren had only known him for a few days. So far, however, things seemed fine…

"Oi, Eren," Levi said, walking into the room. He ran his hand through his wet hair, ignoring the drips it left on the floor. Corporal followed at his feet, looking up at him with wide eyes. "I'm about to go to bed."

"Oh…I'll be in there in a second."

"You can get in bed whenever you want," Levi said. He walked over to Eren and ran his hand along his back with rough affection. "I just wanted to tell you so you don't jump on the bed and wake me up."

"Oh…okay…"

"Well, I will leave you two to your business. Sleep tight," Kenny said, rising from his chair. He nodded to them both and turned, leaving them without another word.

Eren sighed. "I'll come to bed."

"Alright."

Levi dropped his hand and started to walk off when he stopped. He looked around at Eren, a heaviness weighing his dark eyes down more than usual. He looked tired and restless, like his mind was running marathons and he could barely keep up. Eren feared his next words and turned to the cup in his hands instead of looking the man in the face.

"I love you."

Eren raised his eyebrows. "What…?"

"I love you," Levi repeated. "I feel like…I haven't told you enough lately. But I do. And I'm sorry that I haven't said it much."

"I love you, too," Eren replied, taking his hand. "Now let's go get some rest."

~~~~~~~~~

3 Days Ago…

Levi closed the door behind Kenny as they walked into the spare room. He turned, ready to strike, just to stare down the barrel of a black gun.

"Fuck."

"You've gotten comfortable, haven't you?" Kenny asked. He pointed to the bed with a nod of his head and Levi obeyed, sitting down. Kenny flopped onto the stool in the corner, his eyes on Levi like a hawk. He kept the gun steady, pointed directly at Levi.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Let's not get too loud," Kenny said. "I'd hate for your little wife to hear us. It would be unfortunate to paint the walls red with his brains. Or whatever he has in there; he doesn't seem too bright. You know how to pick them."

Levi inhaled sharply, infuriated that Kenny would dare say anything about Eren. He kept himself together; he didn't want to lose himself in front of the old man. "Kenny…what do you want? Why are you here? Is it money? If you want fucking money, just fucking take it. Do you need me to kill someone? I'll fucking do it. Whatever you want; just leave and please don't hurt Eren."

"Unfortunately, I don't give a flying fuck about your money or your killing skills," Kenny sighed, his gun still pointed at Levi. "What I need, however, is a place to stay for a few days. The police are getting smarter. They're getting better with their tracking."

"So you need a hideout."

"Basically. I'll stay out of your hair, if you cooperate," Kenny said.

"And if I refuse?"

Kenny waved his gun. "And don't think that killing me is going to save you either. I have enough footmen to hunt you down like an animal. Well…hunt your precious wife down."

Levi swallowed with difficulty. He was putting Eren in danger. Close-range danger. Either way about it. He tried to think of a way out. He had to. Maybe he could convince Eren to stay with Mikasa or Armin. Maybe he could get Eren to hate Kenny enough that he kicks the man out. And if he had to…

He'd make Eren hate himself. If Eren hated him, he'd leave. He'd be safe. Maybe…

"Of course, if you tell Eren, I'll simply kill you both. But you knew that."

"Naturally," Levi said. "I know how a killer thinks. You taught me, after all."

"You learned from the best," Kenny laughed. "Now…do we have a deal? Or am I going to have to use some force?"

Levi was hesitant. He was pushed into a corner. But right now, he had to play nice. He had no gun or knife on him and he was up against a man who was armed. He nodded.

"Whatever," Levi said. "But if you lay a hand on Eren, I'll slit your goddamn throat like the fucking pig you are."

"Oh, and here I thought you'd turned into a squishy married man. Glad we can still see eye-to-eye. Figuratively, of course. But you have my word: I won't harm a hair on the head of your little wife."

Levi rolled his eyes, unable to believe what he had agreed to.

~~~~~~~~~

Sleeping was near impossible that night. Levi rolled around on his side of the bed, Eren firmly planted on his own side. He felt empty and cold trying to sleep without his arms around Eren. He hated it. They were fucking married. He shouldn't have to be that terrified of some man hurting them.

It was his job to protect Eren. To keep him safe and happy. And Levi knew he was failing miserably at his sworn duty.

Levi rolled onto his side, facing away from Eren. He stared into the darkness, listening to Eren shifting around. He could hear Corporal's soft purring; Levi had moved the litter box into the bathroom connected to their bedroom and locked the cat in the room with them. Not that Corproal really cared since he always slept in their room.

Suddenly, he felt some shuffling around. A hand crept over his waist and held him close. Gentle kisses were placed to the back of his neck and he closed his eyes, enjoying the intimacy.

"I love you. I really do and I'm sorry for being upset. I hope…things work out with you and your father. And please…share things with me. Don't keep me in the dark about things." The whispers were soft and pleading. Eren didn't say anything else but those words were all Levi needed to hear.

He had been treating Eren like shit, making his beloved husband feel awful. Things he never wanted to do again. Things he never meant to do. Eren was precious to him and he wanted to keep him safe.

I love you, too, Levi silently mouthed. He voice became lost in his throat, tears staining his pillow wet. He kept himself quiet because he knew if Eren saw him crying, Eren would know something was amiss. He couldn't risk making Eren worry and suspicious; Kenny would go after him.

Levi remained still, feigning sleep until Eren was still. Only then did he grab Eren's hand, intertwining their fingers.

He had managed to sneak a loaded gun under the bed without Eren's knowledge. He had to be ready, like he used to be when he was part of the Wings Syndicate. No matter what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update weekend! Thank you all for the wonderful kind words!!! <3   
> Also: for those of you who followed Danger Line, don't forget to check out the doujin! :'D You can buy it on the link below!! The support is appreciated!  
> http://mireielle.storenvy.com/collections/179098-books/products/8094429-danger-line-vol-1-attack-on-titan-doujinshi


	6. Office Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has lunch with his friends and then pays someone a little visit at the office...

"Eren. Eren?"

Eren blinked, looking back at Mikasa. She held her hands open in confusion, and it was clear she had been calling his name for some time. Even Armin looked a little concerned. Eren smiled, as genuinely as he could, and turned so he could better face her.

"Sorry…," he said with a shrug. "I was just…distracted…"

"You seem to be very distracted recently," Armin said.

"Is Levi being—"

"No, Mikasa," Eren snapped. He picked at the food on his plate before grabbing a handful of calamari from their community appetizers. "Levi is fine. I promise."

Mikasa sighed, picking at the rice on her plate. Armin picked up a shrimp tail and threw it across the table at Eren.

"Don't be a brat," Armin teased. Eren picked up the shrimp tail and tossed it back to him.

He was relieved, honestly, to get away from his hotel and the house for a while. To get away from the awful tension. Especially with Armin and Mikasa to keep him distracted from it. Even if it was only a little he didn't have to be submerged in that suffocating environment.

"We're just worried about you," Mikasa sighed. "You know that."

"I know…," Eren replied.

"You are married, after all," Armin added. "It's only natural that we'd be pretty worried about you occasionally."

Eren rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. It's not like it's bad though. We're happy, I swear. Things are great."

"But…?" Mikasa hummed.

"His dad or stepdad or whatever-the-fuck is staying with us. And it's pissing Levi off but he's also okay with Kenny staying with us? It's fucking weird and it makes no fucking sense and it's so annoying," Eren said. He slammed his fist on the table, visibly frustrated.

Armin furrowed his brow. "That doesn't make sense. I understand that you're trying to explain it but…it's not adding up. Levi hates it but he's alright with it?"

"I know," Eren said. "Trust me, I know. It doesn't add up but that's the only way I can explain it. That's all I know, honestly."

Mikasa made a face that caught both Eren's and Armin's attention. They stared at her expectantly until she looked up, catching their eyes.

"Levi isn't being honest with you," she said, shrugging. "That's obvious. I think it's pretty important that he communicates with you. The two of you have had this problem before…"

"A long time ago," Eren defended.

Armin tapped his fingers on the table and suddenly snapped them, getting their attention. "A long time ago, Levi told you lies to protect you. Am I correct?"

"Well….yeah…"

"Has it occurred to you that he may be doing the same thing now?" Armin asked. "I know it's a bit extreme, but considering how stressed he's been and how weird the situation is, you shouldn't put it past him. He wouldn't just lie to you, Eren; not without a solid reason. It's Levi."

Eren sat back against the booth, his eyes on his drink. Armin made a good point. However, it was almost too extreme to believe. Surely Kenny wasn't some ghost from Levi's criminal past.

On the other hand…

Just a few years ago, Eren didn't believe he had been tossed out into the desert. And he definitely didn't believe he would marry the man who did it, either. So an old phantom showing up to ruin Levi's life wasn't completely out of the question.

"What…what should I do?" Eren muttered.

"I would say don't bother him," Mikasa said, setting down her glass. "If Levi is going through the trouble to purposefully keep this away from you, risking your marriage over this, it must be important. It has to be something dire."

Eren opened his mouth to argue but Mikasa held up her hand to stop him.

"But you were also one of the top graduates for the S.I.D. You have the skills to figure this out and actually help Levi with it. Especially since you're in close proximity to the man. You can sort of…hold your own on these things. You don't need someone to hold your hand the entire time."

"Mikasa…"

Eren was in shock that Mikasa was actually presenting the idea that he do something himself. That she was actually showing a hint of faith in his ability to take care of something. To take care of himself.

"It's a fact you're good at finding out things, Eren," she said. "Just as Armin is an expert with computers and I'm good with fighting hand-to-hand. You have those skills; don't let them go to waste."

"I won't…I promise."

"Good," Armin said. "You should use those skills and probably buy us dessert now."

"What the fuck!?"

"You know, I think I agree with Armin on this," Mikasa playfully hummed, opening the dessert menu. "I really think the molten chocolate cake looks good."

~~~~~~~~~

Eren ended up buying two plates of dessert; one he shared with his friends and one packed up in a to-go box. As much as he enjoyed being with Armin and Mikasa, he couldn't help but think about Levi. After lunch, Eren said his goodbyes to them and made his way to Sina to drop off his box of sweets.

It had been a while since his last visit, although he frequently hung out with his friends from the Sina department. He just hadn't been through those sleek sliding doors and on the second floor of that building in at least a year.

He waved to the new receptionist in the front, their name tag reading Nanaba, and stepped in the elevator. He took the moment alone to try and fix his mess of hair; not that it really helped. His hair was still wild even after combing his fingers through it.

The elevator rang and the doors slid open. Adjusting his shirt one last time, Eren hurried down the familiar hallway of the office building. Nothing had really changed, save for a few new faces.

He pushed open the doors to the office he knew so well and looked around. Most of the people he had worked with had changed departments, but there were a few familiar faces he knew all too well…

"Well, if it isn't Jaeger."

"Whatever, Kirschtein," Eren hissed, walking by his desk.

"You know, this is a place of actual business. Not a public space. You can't just walk in whenever to blow your boyfriend," Jean hummed. "Well…husband now."

"Thank you for acknowledging," Eren snapped. "And with that attitude it's no wonder you're not married to Marco."

"Hey, we're taking things slow!" Jean yelled back. "He's not entirely desperate to be a housewife."

Ymir snorted from her desk. "As if Marco would be the housewife. You can barely hold a gun without dropping it but you make a damn good cup of coffee."

Eren chuckled as Jean turned red, completely flustered. Everyone who had graduated from the 104th class, and stayed at the S.I.D., had been promoted. Even with Jean's inability to hold a gun, he was still in a position of authority. Eren had to give him a little bit of respect for his dedication.

Eren brushed them off and walked through the office until he came to the closed door he had become very familiar with over the last few years. He knocked and didn't wait for the disgruntled response before entering.

Levi was sitting at his desk, papers askew over the top. He had a cigarette between his fingers, eyes heavy from a lack of sleep and an abundance of worry. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, grabbing at the papers on his desk. A few slid off the surface as he scrambled to hastily put them away. Eren's smile faded a bit as he set the cake down. He picked up the papers that had fallen onto the floor, noticing that most of them were printouts from online newspaper articles.

Papers from out east; Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania…

"Eren."

He looked up when he was called, right into Levi's tired eyes. There was something cold in them; a look Eren hadn't seen in years. He tightened his grip on the papers in his hand, actually terrified of Levi.

"Eren…I'm sorry but that's confidential. Please give it to me."

Eren's stomach sank. He placed the papers on the desk and Levi quickly took them, shoving them into the drawer and even locking it. He kept his eyes down, unable to look at his own husband out of fear.

Levi sighed. "Eren…"

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to…upset you," Eren said, rubbing his arm, practically ashamed of even showing up.

Levi rose from his desk and walked around it, standing by Eren. Eren sighed, looking at him. He couldn't even try to smile. Levi pulled him close, burying his face into Eren's shoulder.

"You're not upsetting me. Work just…has me really stressed. New case and all that shit. It's not exactly easy right now. It's frustrating as hell and I'm sorry I've been an asshole to you."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine." Levi's voice lowered and he held Eren closer. "You are my husband and I love you. I adore you. And you deserve happiness. I want to make sure you're happy and I've been failing miserably."

"You're too hard on yourself…I know your work has been hard."

Levi shrugged. Eren caught a glimpse of the unhappy look on his face. He smiled, this time genuinely, and pulled away to pick up the cake he had set down.

"I figured you already had lunch so I brought you some cake," Eren said hopefully. "From that one bakery you really like."

"Wow…," Levi said, almost dreamily. "You are truly amazing, you know that?"

"I just want you to be a little less stressed and lot of happy," Eren said.

"You know that I am happy," Levi said.

"It's just the stressed part," Eren said.

"Just that part. Look, after this current investigation, I know things will get better. I can't keep making you miserable."

"I'm not that miserable," Eren teased. "But I do want things to get better because I don't want you to be constantly worried about work."

"How did I get blessed with you? You're so fucking patient with me and all my shit," Levi said, holding his head.

"Well, one of us has to be grounded. We have to take care of each other. Now, I know you have work so I'll go ahead and leave so you can focus. I'll make dinner for us tonight."

"Thank you," Levi said. They shared a gentle, chaste kiss before separating. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See you later," Eren said, walking through the door.

He smiled, feeling better than what he did previously. As he walked through the office, Jean catcalled at him to catch his attention.

"Have a quickie with your husband?"

"Not this time," Eren replied, thumping him on the head as he walked by. "We kept it classy."

Jean swatted at him as Eren stuck his tongue out, hurrying away.

He walked to the elevator and pressed the button to go down. It dinged open and he looked up, ready to enter, when—

"Oh, good afternoon, Eren."

Eren grew rigid at the familiar face before him. Kenny walked out of the elevator, holding a stack of papers in his arms.

"You…"

"Did you come to visit Levi?" Kenny asked. Eren nodded blindly, unable to barely speak. "That's so kind of you."

"Do you…how did you…You work here? Does Levi know?"

"Of course," Kenny gasped. "I figured since I'll be staying here a while, I need a job. I used to work in the offices on the upper floors so I came back and had a quick chat with some of my old managers. I'm not starting off with my seniority but it's still a start. I came by and said hello to Levi already."

"Uh huh…," Eren hummed. "That's….uh…that's nice."

"He wasn't exactly thrilled," Kenny sighed. "But at least we're not sharing an actual office space together. He's a little dramatic."

"I guess so…It could always be worse…"

"Absolutely," Kenny grinned.

"I…uh….I don't mean to sound rude but I sort of…have to go," Eren said, pointing to the waiting elevator.

"Oh of course," Kenny cried. "I have to drop these papers off anyway. You take care."

Eren smiled, as much as he could, and caught the elevator before the doors closed. He stepped inside, holding his smile until the doors slid into place. He fell against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He was scared. Terrified. At an actual loss for words.

Mikasa was right. He would have to investigate himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for being so patient during this break. It was much needed. All of the love is so appreciated!!


	7. What If

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit is hitting the fan

Eren was used to going to the hotel. It was a daily routine now. He would go, check on the casino, the bars, the shopping mall, have lunch and do a final checkup before going home. He would occasionally buy Levi some of the soaps he liked or even a bottle of champagne and chocolate. Sometimes Mikasa and Armin would join him; on other occasions he would go with Annie. However, he wasn't exactly used to going with Kenny and he was sure he never would be.

The old man hadn't said much since arriving at the hotel. He simply looked on in awe at his surroundings, taking it all in. He took photos where he could, using a rather old camera. He had a typical Las Vegas tourist shirt and a bag of souvenirs on his arm. It was almost comical, had it not been for the uneasy feeling in Eren's stomach.

The old man may come off as nice, but he was still stressing Levi out. And that made Eren very anxious. He caught himself staring off mindlessly, biting his nails or tapping them on whatever surface he was closest to.

"You seem very distracted, Eren," Kenny said over his menu. "Are you alright?"

Eren gasped, eyes wide, and nodded. He dropped his hand from his mouth, wiping his fingers on his jeans under the table. "Oh…yeah! I'm fine! Just a little tired and worried about work…" He forced out a laugh he hoped didn't sound too incredibly fake. Kenny smiled, rather gently.

"That's completely understandable," Kenny replied, setting his menu down. "You are the owner of a billion-dollar hotel. And at such a young age. I'm sure that comes with all sorts of stress."

"You have no idea," Eren said, trying to laugh again.

"And you're married on top of that," Kenny added. "It's quite admirable, really. You've taken on quite a bit of responsibility for a young person."

"I…uh….well…you're not wrong," Eren said with a shrug. "It hasn't always been easy."

"I can imagine," Kenny said. "Especially with Levi getting moody. Hopefully he'll drop that bad habit."

"Yeah…"

Eren looked down at his drink, avoiding Kenny's gaze.

"I think he's been so stressed out because of money. He's always been the one to make a lot of money," Kenny said. "Ever since he was young. Having his significant other make more than him must be a hard adjustment."

Eren made a face. "Well…I guess so. That would make sense..." Levi went from a high-paying career as a hitman to an office-bound secretary. The sudden job switch would make anyone dizzy and possibly feel a little more than stagnant.

But surely Levi wasn't bored. They had a fulfilling life, after all…

"I think that all started when he was dating Erwin; of course back then he was fine with it. But I know he's coping now," Kenny shrugged. "He's Levi, after all. He'll pull himself together."

"I know he will," Eren said with a slight smile. Being compared to Erwin sure as hell didn't help. "He has to. He always has before."

Perhaps that was the real reason behind Levi's mood change. Something he had been keeping in the entire time. And now with the stress from having his father around, it was surfacing. On top of that, he had a scapegoat. He could blame it all on Kenny without making Eren feel awful.

Eren sighed, looking down at his drink. He wanted to believe that. He didn't want to believe that Kenny was purely evil, like Levi had said. He wanted them to get along. However…

That also meant Levi was unhappy with their positions in their marriage.

"How is that Erwin fellow with Levi, by the way?"

And suddenly Eren's heart sank. He tried not to show it, smiling instead. "What do you mean?"

"They just seem close, that's all," Kenny said. "Not to make you worry but I would feel bad if I saw anything at work, you know? They always eat lunch together and are in such hushed voices whenever I see them. I don't see them often, of course, since I work on a different level. I just didn't know if it was strange or not."

"It's fine," Eren snapped. "They've been friends for years. It's definitely normal. There's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure—"

"I'm absolutely positive. We should order."

Eren was right. There really was nothing to worry about…

~~~~~~~~~

Levi walked into the house, dropping his shoes and jacket in the entrance hall. He immediately shuffled into the kitchen and to the bags of tea in the cabinet. However he found a mug of tea already made. He smiled, picking it up and taking it to the living room. It was warm in his hands; freshly made.

He looked over the sofa and found Eren peacefully asleep, clutching the remote. Levi felt a smile tug at his lips, feeling at ease. He set his tea down and pulled the remote from Eren's hands. Eren briefly stirred but it wasn't until Levi pulled on his arms that he really woke up. Levi slid into his embrace, pulling him close to lay against him.

"You're home," Eren hummed, hugging Levi tight. "Did you get your tea?"

"I did. Thank you," Levi replied softly.

"Did it get cold?"

"A little."

"I'm sorry," Eren yawned. Levi nuzzled his neck, kissing it lightly.

"It's fine," Levi laughed. "You're incredibly sweet."

Eren shrugged. "I do what I can…"

Levi felt it. The shift in Eren's eyes and the way his shoulders slumped back against the sofa. Levi sat up, to better look Eren in the eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong."

Levi sharply narrowed his eyes. "Your ears are fucking red. Tell me what's wrong."

Eren shrugged away from him, sitting up. Tension grew so thick that Levi could smell it. "Levi…would you…you know…"

"Would I…?"

"Ever go to Erwin for—"

Levi held up his hand and Eren stopped, catching his words in his throat. He looked down as a clear fury swept across Levi's face.

"I'm sorry."

"Why would you ever think something like that? Why would you ever assume that I would do anything with Erwin?"

"I didn't—"

"You were about to say it!"

Eren shoved Levi back. "Stop getting so goddamn defensive about everything I say! And yeah, I was about to say it because you spend so much extra time at that office. Dear lord that fucking case can't be that interesting!"

Levi exhaled, sitting back against the sofa. He looked away, almost ashamed, and unable to argue back.

"I wouldn't do anything behind your back like that, Eren. You know that. If I wanted to be with Erwin, I would fucking leave and be with him."

Eren flinched at the sharp tone Levi had. But he narrowed his eyes and tried to remain firm.

"You say it easily."

"Eren, what the fuck? Why would you even think something like that?"

"Because you both used to date and…you're working late together and…"

Levi raised an eyebrow. "That means we're going to fuck each other."

"No…"

"Well according to you it does!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"I'm not about to baby your ass and step on fucking egg shells because you don't want me to yell! I'm fucking pissed off."

"What else is fucking new! You stay pissed off!"

"At least Erwin never bitched about it."

Eren felt his chest instantly tighten. This time he couldn't hold it back. His eyes started to water and he looked away. Levi sighed, looking at his hands and visibly frustrated.

"Eren…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…that was unnecessary—"

"I don't care. Go away."

"Don't be a brat."

"I have every fucking right to be a brat. Go away. I don't want to talk anymore."

Again, Levi sighed. He stood up, exasperated but defeated. He looked back down at Eren, shoulders slumped and eyes cast down, and felt his heart drop.

He knew it was better if Eren hated him. He wouldn't have to explain anything to him. He had to protect Eren…

But seeing him so hurt and damn near belittled was just as painful.

Levi tried to turn away but he ended up on his knees at Eren's side. Eren looked up at him, wiping his eyes.

"What? I told you to go away."

"I can't leave you like this," Levi said softly. "I can't walk away with you crying. And because of something I said."

Eren shrugged. "So…"

Levi shook his head. "Eren, I promise you I'm going to tell you everything. I can't right now because it's confidential and it's…dangerous. But I swear to you, I will tell you everything."

Eren made a soft noise, looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry…I accused you. It's just…Kenny said that you two spend a lot of time at the office together and I panicked and—"

"Kenny said that?"

Eren swallowed with difficulty and nodded. Levi was now the one trying to keep himself in check; trying not to lose himself. He inhaled sharply.

"Please don't yell again."

"I'm not going to yell at you. But I am going out."

"Huh?"

Levi stood up as Eren scrambled around, trying to regain himself and understand what was happening. The sudden shift in the air sent him reeling in confusion.

"Levi, you're leaving?" Eren cried, staggering to his feet, chasing Levi across the room. "Levi—Levi wait! What the hell!?"

"Yes, Eren," Levi said. "I'm leaving. I forgot something at the office."

Eren straightened up, infuriated. He slammed a hand against the wall to catch Levi's attention. His husband jumped, turning around to look at him with challenging eyes.

"What?"

"Bull fucking shit," Eren said. "You didn't leave anything at that fucking office. Where are you going? To go beat up your dad? Because that's always the solution?"

Levi's lips briefly thinned. As if Eren had room to talk about beating up parental figures. However, Levi didn't bring it up. Instead he inhaled, picking up his keys and shoving them into his pocket.

"Levi…don't start lying to me again."

"I'm not," Levi said. "I'm protecting you."

Eren opened his mouth to protest but Levi had turned away too fast. He reached the front door and slammed it behind him. Eren stood in the hallway, holding his hands to his chest to calm his racing heart. Corporal poked his head out around the corner, mewing softly.

His bowl was empty. Eren realized that. He would have to feed the cat.

~~~~~~~~~

Kenny pulled out the keys to his car as he walked across the underground parking garage. He carried a stack of papers under his arm; a stack he really didn't care to work on once he was at his temporary residence.

He walked up to the car and paused, looking around. He grabbed his keys, holding them tight in his hand. He inhaled and spun around.

Kenny barely caught Levi's wrist as a punch was thrown. He dropped the papers and grabbed the shorter man, twisting him around. Levi braced himself, twisting his own arm to get out of Kenny's grip. He spun around, pulling a knife from his pocket, ready to press it to Kenny's throat.

But the man had stepped back, arms raised, with a look on his face that made Levi stop moving.

"You're really going to stab me with those security cameras overhead?" Kenny smirked. Levi inhaled.

"I just may. After the bullshit you've been feeding Eren," Levi spat, taking a dangerous step forward.

"You would purposefully fuck up?"

"Erwin would cover for me," Levi said. "It would be worth it to finally drain your blood."

Kenny smirked, lowering his hands. Levi kept the knife raised in his steady hands, carefully eyeing the cameras in the garage. They were everywhere; at every angle. His face was already recorded. What he was doing had been recorded. There was no way for him to get out of what he was already doing, much less an actual murder, without Erwin's intervention.

"You're getting sloppy," Kenny hummed. "Shacking up with that little brat has made you so careless. You were a calculating killer and within a few years, you've become nothing more than a petty husband."

"Don't you dare insult him—"

"And what are you going to do about it? Hm? You can't kill me because the moment you lay a finger on me, I'll make sure your precious brat is torn limb from—"

Levi rushed him, grabbing Kenny by the shirt and shoving him against a car. He pressed the knife to the old man's throat, hard enough that the skin turned red without breaking.

"If you touch him— so much as lay a finger on him—I'll make you wish I had killed you."

"Big words, coming from such a little man," Kenny said. He nodded to Levi's shoulder and in that brief moment, Levi looked away. At his shoulder, shaking to catch his attention, was a red dot. A laser. He looked around.

There was no sign of anyone holding the laser or where it could even lead to; just somewhere simply hidden across the dimly lit parking lot.

Levi swallowed, lowering his knife. And when he did, he saw the red dot lower and disappear.

"I can't believe you."

"I know. You're in quite a predicament," Kenny sighed. "I just really felt like you should be aware of what is going on. That you are fucked and that any move you make is being watched. Yes your husband is in danger. But so are your friends. You know I have access to a lot of information. It would be a shame if my finger slipped…"

"So now you're threatening to release information on the Syndicate? Concerning Hanji and Erwin."

"Well…when you put it that way—"

"What do you want?" Levi whispered, his shoulders dropping. "What the fuck do you want from me?"

"I've already told you."

"Then why are you dragging Eren into this? Why are you making him question y loyalty?!"

"Well…it's quite simple. Eren loses faith in his husband. He gains some faith in this obscure father-in-law because his husband is an asshole. I gain someone on my side who just reinforces my right to stay."

Levi took a deep breath. "Leave him alone…stop…stop dragging him into this. He doesn't deserve that sort of torture. So please…I am begging you…leave him alone."

"Mn. I'll consider it as long as you stay cooperative," Kenny sighed, brushing against Levi's shoulder as he walked by him. "But you know, at the end of the day, his safety depends on you."

Levi swallowed with difficulty, staring at the ground. He felt something hard press against his side and realized how close Kenny was. Blocking the gun from the cameras. Levi straightened, catching his breath and furrowing his eyes at the clicking sound the gun made as Kenny stuck it further into his side.

"I hope I'm very clear."

"Crystal fucking clear."

Kenny smirked, sticking the gun back into his jacket. "Good. I suppose I'll see you home, yes? I'll give you a little head start. Get home to your precious husband and make sure he's still in one piece."

Levi nodded as Kenny walked to his car. He could barely move. He could still feel the cold of the gun pressed against his skin, through his shirt. He would have to cooperate. And not just for Eren's sake anymore. Hanji and Erwin's reputations were on the line now.

He had to play his cards carefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for being patient (as always) and for sharing so much love <3 <3 <3


	8. Patience in Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets fed up and decides to make a call for advice...

Watching Levi from across the room, silently, was becoming more of a difficult task for Eren. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't do anything.

He didn't even see the point in doing anything as much he wanted to. But Levi was refusing to say anything other than "good morning" and the occasional "good night" and that was if he was even home. Most mornings he would wake up alone with Levi already out of the house (Kenny as well thankfully).

At least his husband would leave the coffee on for him.

Eren curled up on the sofa, pulling the blanket closer to his chin, tired of watching his husband. Saturdays were different. Levi would stay home and linger around their house. Usually doing laundry or cleaning. And Eren was always eager to help (or distract) his husband. But on that particular Saturday, all Eren wanted to do was watch Netflix.

Clanging came from the kitchen. Eren turned the volume up even louder, huffing to himself.

Kenny wasn't at the house for the first time in a while. Normally Eren would be thankful for it but he didn't even see the point anymore.

He wanted someone to talk to. Someone who would understand. But Mikasa wouldn't. She wasn't married. Same for Armin. There was always Hanji but she was still Levi's friend at the end of the day. Contacting her would be strange.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts when a name caught his eye. His finger hovered over the text button when—

"Oi," Levi said, ruffling Eren's hair, "I'm running to the store for groceries. Need anything?"

Eren lowered his phone and looked up at him. He smiled a little. "No, I think I'm good."

"Sure?"

Eren nodded. A faint smile spread over Levi's lips as he dropped his hand, stepping away. "If you're sure…"

Eren returned to the television as Levi grabbed his keys and wallet. He gasped.

"Levi! Get ice cream!"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Ice cream? That's all?"

Eren nodded, biting his bottom lip. Levi narrowed his eyes and walked over, messing with his hair again. He leaned down and caught Eren's lips in a gentle kiss.

"I love you."

Even after years of being together, those words still made Eren's chest tighten and heart race.

"I love you, too."

Levi let him go and this time didn't look back around. Eren listened to the door open and close and even waited until he heard the car before picking his phone back up. He didn't even bother to text; he went directly to call.

The phone rang once and then twice.

"Hello?"

"Hey Marco, it's Eren."

There was a soft chuckle from the other end. "I figured. I sort of have your number saved."

"Oh! Oh yeah…heh…that makes sense." Eren felt his cheeks turn red from embarrassment; even if it was over the phone.

Marco cleared his throat. "Yeah…um…are you alright, Eren? You sound frazzled."

"I'm…I uh…," Eren muttered. He got to his feet to pace. "I'm iffy. I just…needed someone to talk to, I guess. Who would understand like…I'm…"

"Relationship bump?"

Eren nodded and then hastily added an audible "yes". He heard Marco shifting.

"You can talk. What's going on?"

"It's just…like…First I'm sorry I called you. But I can't talk to Mikasa about this and Armin may not know and you were the only person I could think of that's been in a long-term relationship other than Bert and he ends up worrying more than me and then Jean and Reiner—"

"Eren, it's okay," Marco said. "I don't mind. What's going on?"

"Well…Levi's dad-person has been staying with us and things have just been so…tense? Like…he's driving Levi crazy. Levi is on edge and when he's on edge like this he's so impossible to talk to. I know that they have their issues and he just keeps telling me that he'll tell me later but when is later supposed to be? How long is he going to keep doing this?"

There was a pause of silence as Eren caught his breath.

"I just don't know.

"Has this happened before?" Marco softly asked.

"Uhh…something like this before…yeah…"

"And did Levi tell you?"

Eren shrugged out of habit. "Yeah…"

"And do you trust him?"

"Of course!"

"Then give him time. He'll tell you. Don't forget that relationships work because of two people. Two separate people with two separate minds. You may come together as a couple but you're still two people with your own set of problems. If he told you his problems before, when you were just dating, he'll tell you now that you're married. It may take him longer, because he knows you're there for him; but he may also tell you sooner because he knows you're there for him for the long-run. Don't argue with him, support him. Reassure him that things will be okay."

"But it's so hard, Marco, especially with his dad here. That man just irritates Levi and it's irritating me!"

"I understand. Trust me," Marco said. "Jean and I went to go visit my parents once. My dad and Jean bumped heads for the entire trip; we had to end up staying at a hotel. And once we got there, it took hours to get him to listen and calm down. And by the end of the week, they were able to shake hands. Of course it was reluctant but they did it. It is possible, Eren. Because Levi is much better at compromise than Jean will ever be."

Between being a hitman, criminal, mafia man and racing cars, Levi was still easier to work with than Jean.

"You make a good point."

"It's all a matter of how you go about it. Be gentle with him. But still be firm. Make him listen and make him know that you are there for him. Support him in his choices and he'll come to you."

"I guess—" Eren heard the door open. He had managed to walk into the bedroom during all his pacing and had forgotten Levi went out. He closed the bedroom door and went back to the bed. "Sorry, Levi is home. He went to the store."

"Is it just the two of you today? No dad?"

"No dad."

"Hmm. Suggest going somewhere together. Like the lake or even for a drive. Go shooting!"

"We can't just go shooting!"

"Why not?" Marco laughed. "It'll be fun. You can blow off some steam together. And if you're out there late, you can always…you know. In the car."

"MARCO!"

Marco started laughing even harder. "I'm sorry! Not trying to shove my nose in your personal business but it helps!"

"TMI!"

Eren rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a grin. Marco did have a point. Having a spontaneous, heated moment together was never a problem.

"I'll think about," Eren said. "I really appreciate this, by the way."

"It's no problem, Eren," Marco said. "I hope I was able to help. Even a little."

The door cracked open and Eren glanced around to see it move. "I'm here, Levi. Hey, Marco, I guess I should probably—"

A hand hit his back and a rag was pressed to his nose. Eren gasped in initial shock and held his breath, flailing his arms. He threw his phone, hitting a vase in the room. It shattered against the floor and he could hear Marco shouting his name from the thrown phone.

Eren managed to turn, pushing the stranger off and stumbled to the wall, breathing hard. Everything was blurry, however. His muscles were getting weak. Marco's voice could still be heard. Eren stumbled away from the masked man, knocking over anything he came in contact with.

He couldn't find his voice. He couldn't scream for help. He stumbled through the hallway, trying to remember where the guns were hidden. But his thoughts were foggy; the drug had taken effect and fast.

He needed to find a way out before he completely collapsed.

He hadn't noticed that he had fallen to his knees. He didn't know he was crawling. And he didn't know the masked man was right behind him.

~~~~~~~~

Levi groaned as he drove up to the house. What should have been a ten minute grocery run had turned into a forty-minute ordeal and all because of a flat. His tires had been completely fine when he left but by the time he came out from the store, there was a set of nails shoved into the rubber.

He was fuming.

And he was even more upset to find a car parked in his driveway.

Rolling his eyes, Levi grabbed the few groceries that he had and walked up to the door, finding Marco Bodt in his way.

"Oi, freckles. What the fuck are you…"

Marco turned, looking frazzled and distressed. He had his phone to his ear.

"Something happened."

"What?"

"I was on the phone with Eren earlier and I heard this crash and noise. It sounded like a struggle and I've been trying to get a hold of him. He's not picking up."

Levi's eyes widened. He set down the groceries and pulled out his keys, hastily opening the door. Marco stood by him, watching rather impatiently over his shoulder.

He shoved the door open and ran into the house, looking around. Marco ran in after him, taking the opposite side of the house, checking the guest room and bathroom. Levi walked through the living room, glancing at the kitchen. Something glittered at the corner of his eye and he turned to find the mess of glass on the floor.

He hurried to it and the closer he got, the more he saw the scene of the struggle. Broken glass, the disheveled bed, the phone on the floor, spots of blood.

Levi ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm down. Trying to make sense of the situation. Who would kidnap Eren? Why wasn't the entire house a mess? If there had been an intruder, Eren would have fought back. He would have been prepared; got the gun from behind the bed. Eren was a trained cop; how did someone get this far into the house without him hearing?

Unless…

Unless the person had a key. Having a key wouldn't have been a break-in. Just a normal sound that Eren was used to. And if he had been on the phone—with Marco—he wouldn't have thought to check who was coming in. He would have assumed it was someone who belonged in the house.

The thoughts raced through Levi's mind. He had a little bit of time to put everything together. The only people with a key to their house, other than him and Eren, were Mikasa, Hanji and…

"Fuck," Levi spat, hurrying to the closet. He threw the clothes aside, picking up a rather large box. He opened it, fishing out his gun—the silver gun he had used so many times before—and loaded it. He pulled on his jacket and shoved his gun inside, storming back through the house.

Marco caught sight of him as he grabbed his keys.

"Levi," Marco cried, "Levi—wait!"

Levi wouldn't stand to listen to whatever reasoning Marco had to share. He had to find him. He had to find that old bastard.

Just as Levi was ready to storm out, the door opened and Kenny walked in, carrying the groceries that had been left on the ground. Levi stared at him, briefly, and Kenny made a face.

"What's with the face—"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Levi shouted, throwing Kenny against the wall. He pulled out his gun and pressed it under Kenny's chin. Marco gasped, slapping his hands to his mouth. "I swear to God you fucker if you so much as think of lying I'll blow off your goddamn head."

"What the fuck!?" Kenny cried, trying to get out of Levi's grip. "What's going on?"

"Eren was kidnapped and I know you had something to do with it!"

"What are you talking about!?"

"Levi!" Marco shouted again, this time catching the man's attention. Levi turned on him.

"Don't, Marco. I'm not—"

Marco held up a note and the longer Levi looked at it, the more he realized it was a ransom note. He pressed the gun deeper into Kenny's neck.

"Read it," Levi said. "Out loud."

Marco sighed and took a deep breath. "Mr. Levi…gunman of the Wings…" Levi shuddered as Marco read the words, "…we are requesting a sum of one—holy Christ—one million dollars in exchange for the safe return of Mr. Jaeger. We will be waiting at the construction site outside the city. Come alone or we'll send Eren back to you…in boxes."

Levi lowered the gun, his face pale. He let Kenny go and pressed his back against the wall, letting it all sink in. This was real. Eren was in danger. And it was his fault.

"Thank you," Levi muttered.

Marco handed the note to Levi and took a step back. "Should I…tell Mr. Smith?"

"No," Levi said. "Just…get home safe."

Marco left in silence, leaving Levi with Kenny and that gun. Once Levi had control over his limbs again, he went back into the bedroom to get more bullets and his other gun. It had been far too long since he had to get that many bullets.

He came back through the house to find Kenny putting away groceries.

"Can you do this by yourself?" Kenny asked. Levi paused.

"I'm fine," Levi snapped. "As if I'd even consider accepting your help."

Kenny shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Levi grabbed his keys and his phone, going to the car. He slid in and unlocked his phone, making his first call.

"Yes, Levi?"

"Erwin," Levi said, "care to help me with a job?"

"Possibly."

"I'm going to need your backup and a rental from Gunter."

"Fill me in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly appreciate all the support and patience from everyone <3 You've all been great. I'm going to attempt to get the next chapter posted this weekend (if work allows it!)


	9. First Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi goes on a rescue mission but finds something he definitely wasn't expecting...

Arriving at the construction site—the only one right outside the city—was the easy part. And Levi knew that as Erwin put the car in park.

Levi knew that going in to an unfamiliar area, one he didn't have the luxury of surveying beforehand, with limited knowledge of who he would face inside and being off his normal "job" for too long was dangerous. He was at a disadvantage.

Which was why he needed backup. If he ended up inured he would have a way out; especially if Eren was injured as well.

"I'm going," Levi said.

"Watch your back," Erwin replied. "Don't get sloppy."

"It's me," Levi chuckled, cocking his gun. "I'm never sloppy."

He got out of the car and hurried behind the first point of shelter he could reach. He ran to the next, checking over his shoulder and the rest of his surroundings before hurrying to the next. He observed everything around him.

The dirt, machinery, small building structures. There wasn't much for him to hide behind but it would do.

He stared down a small room, one that had been already built between the high beam structures. He gripped his gun tighter and started to move when red caught his eye.

Blood was splattered on the work grounds, mixed with the dirt. A body laid limp not too far away; a few feet away from the barricade he stood behind. Sweat started to pool around his temples as he tried to keep his breathing even.

His brows furrowed and he lowered his gun, examining the corpse on the ground. He kept his gun pointed and gave the body a nudge with his foot. At no response, he pressed on, surveying the area around him as he approached the room.

He could hear the faint sounds of sobbing from the other side. He didn't know what to expect. He couldn't begin to imagine but he knew he had heard those cries before.

He turned, kicking the door open and raising his guns. He took a quick glance around.

The room was a construction room; one meant for blueprints and going over them. There were supplies on the tables, a mix of tools, papers and the like. On one side of the room, there was a pile of what could only be limbs. Two, maybe three, bodies. And on the floor in front of Levi were the two he didn't expect to see.

Kenny, kneeling, at the side of a very shaken up Eren. Ropes had been cut and the boy was still massaging his wrists, tears rolling down his cheeks as he continued to sob.

The two looked up at Levi.

"You….you…," Eren muttered as Levi dropped to his side.

"Eren, are you alright? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Eren shook his head, still wide-eyed. Levi reached out, stroking his tear-stained cheek and his husband didn't respond to the touch.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," Levi said. "But you're safe."

Eren looked away and Levi could see the hurt in his eyes. Kenny had got to him first; he had been the one to make sure Eren was safe. Levi had failed to get to him first. His hesitation could have resulted in more than an upset Eren.

"Let's go," Levi said. "Erwin is waiting for us."

"What?"

"I called him for backup and—"

"So you weren't here because you went to Erwin first?" Eren cried.

Levi felt his heart sink. There was no way to win. Kenny had saved him. Whatever Levi said didn't matter at this point. He was losing a battle he couldn't win.

~~~~~~~~~

Eren sat on the bed, his knees pressed against his chest. His head was still spinning. His wrists were still burning. Everything hurt and all he could think about was waking up with tape over his mouth and bound hands. He was an ex-cop; how was he so unprepared?

Even more, how was Levi unaware? Levi, the former hitman. The man who was always four steps ahead. The man who knew every move of every piece on the board before moving. Instead it was Kenny—the man who was causing the rift between them—who had saved him.

The man Levi refused to trust.

Eren couldn't help but wonder if Levi was paranoid. Extremely paranoid over the presence of the old man in their house. The man may cause trouble but Eren was starting to think Levi was over-thinking it. However, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach whenever Kenny was around, too.

There was a knock on the door and Eren shuddered, looking away. He couldn't keep his husband out of their room. But he also didn't have to invite him in either.

He remained silent as the door creaked open. Levi stepped in, carefully closing the door behind him. Eren huffed, shuffling onto his own side of the bed, trying to get away from Levi as his husband walked across the room.

"Eren…"

Eren turned his head and Levi sighed, sitting down.

"Eren, I need to talk to you."

Levi's tone was soft, serious. Eren's mind spun. Part of him wanted to tell Levi to go to Erwin; the other part of him heard Marco's voice in the back of his mind. Repeatedly telling him to listen. To sit and listen. Not to argue; not now.

Eren clenched his fists.

"I'm here to listen to you, Levi." He replied just as soft, turning his eyes back to his husband as painful as it was. He saw the look on Levi's face and could read the desperation in his eyes.

Levi's expression softened, even if it was only for a moment.

"Really?"

Eren nodded firmly, sitting up straight as Levi started to pace. "I can handle it. Everything."

There was a moment of hesitation on Levi's lips but Eren stayed firm, looking up at his husband until that hesitation broke.

"Kenny is a murderer. He's laying low here and threatened your safety, as well as the secrets of the syndicate. Eren…I shouldn't tell you this because I know he could hurt you. I know he could. But if you don't know and if you go unaware…you're going to get hurt even more; or worse."

Eren's stomach dropped. The look on Levi's face was pure pain and all the held in suffering came pouring down his face. Eren rose and walked over to him, wrapping his arms around Levi's shoulders, holding him close until he heard the crying stop.

"I've never had to really protect someone until I met you," Levi muttered into Eren's chest. "And the thought of losing you…I can't handle it. I had to do whatever it took to keep you safe but instead you ended up in harm's way. I know I'm putting Erwin and Hanji and everyone at risk but I have to put you first, Eren. I can't keep hurting you and I can't let you stay in danger like this."

Eren ran his hand through Levi's hair, kissing his temples. It made sense, as much as he hated to believe Levi's words; that they were allowing a wanted criminal to stay in their house. And as angry as Eren could be about it, he figured he would have to worry about that later. Right now, he needed to comfort Levi, let him know that everything would be fine. But most importantly…

"What do we do with him now?" Eren whispered.

Levi kept Eren close, refusing to let him go. Eren could feel Levi's expression change against his chest.

"We have to get rid of him. Kick him out. Have him arrested. Whatever it takes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Second update! Sorry for the delay! This chapter was also super short because it was originally part of the previous chapter *sweats*
> 
> P.S. if y'all think the story is coming to an end because Levi told things to Eren: no


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this has, in fact, been coming for quite a while. At this point in my writing, I don't see myself continuing to work on this fic (or any ereri fic) in the near future. I'm sorry to say this is going to be the final update for this story. I have struggled with writing it for over a year now; and I absolutely hate to leave everyone hanging. What I am posting below is the last scene I wrote for this story along with an outline detailing what would have happened. I want to thank everyone who has stuck around. I want you all to know that your support is absolutely appreciated and uplifting. Anything I will write from this point on will most likely be in other fandoms, but I have mainly switched to focusing on my original works at this point in my life. I am active on tumblr (heichou-espurr) if anyone has any questions. Again, I thank you all for your love. You all have honestly made writing incredible and I want to go back to my own work. I feel like if I can succeed with fan works, then I can pursue my own work and succeed there as well 3 Thank you everyone!

Eren wasn't home when Levi formally kicked Kenny out of the house. And he was glad to be out of the house when it happened. Levi had told him, early that morning, to go check on the hotel. To do whatever to stay out of the house until Levi called him.

Actually being exiled from his own house wasn't the easiest feeling to settle in the pit of his stomach, but it was far easier than knowing Kenny was still there.

So he put on his best face to sit with Mikasa and Armin, going over hotel business over lunch. He couldn't let them know how utterly tore up inside he was; he didn't want them to worry about his marriage.

8888

Eren pushed the shopping cart to the row of apples, picking up a few to see which were ripe. He would convince Levi that making a homemade apple pie was, in fact, a necessary component of their date night cooking.

He put two apples into a bag and started to pick another when a figure caught his eye. Tall and dark, looming as it passed by the aisle. Eren squeezed the cart handle as Kenny passed by, unaware of Eren's presence.

Eren tried not to watch, turning his eyes down and staring closer at the apples. But he couldn't help but glance back up to see where Kenny was. He threw another two apples into the bag, trying his best to hurry but the sound of a rattling cart approaching quickly threw him off. He paused as the other cart stopped and he turned his eyes back up to see Kenny standing across from him.

Death was written across the man's cruel features. Eren squeezed the cart as he set the apples in the basket. His heart was racing in his throat but there was no way in hell he was going to let Kenny see that.

"Good afternoon," Eren said before realizing he had nothing to say to the man. He didn't want to completely ignore him; but he also didn't want to have a conversation with him. "I uh…didn't know you shopped. For food…" Shit.

"I do a lot, you'd be surprised," Kenny replied through his teeth.

"Well…that's good you get around," Eren said. "But I was just leaving. Have a nice—" He tried to leave, to pull his cart away as he spoke, but Kenny was quicker. He grabbed Eren's arm, keeping him in place. Eren's initial reaction was to pull away; to get away. But Kenny pulled him back with enough force to make Eren wince.

"You had the audacity to kick me out—"

"It's my house," Eren growled back. "So I can do whatever I fucking want. You have no place in my house."

There was a twitch at the corner of Kenny's mouth.

"Why are you so fucking obsessed with living with us?" Eren continued, jerking his arm away. "Go find someone else to bug. We're not scared of you or your little threats!"

His heart was racing wildly, throbbing in his ears. He was enraged now, unable to stop himself from spewing his emotions.

"You came into our house and nearly ruined our relationship. And you showed no goddamn remorse for it either!" His blood was rushing; red was all he could feel. But it took only one step from Kenny to quiet Eren down. And with the second, Eren swallowed, choking on his words.

Kenny leaned in, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You have made the worst mistake of your life."

His voice left a chill down Eren's spine.

8888

Eren sat in the driveway of the house, Kenny's voice still echoing in the back of his mind. He co0uldn't shake the unnerving feeling as much as he wanted to.

He finally pulled himself together. He dragged himself out of the car and grabbed the few groceries from the backseat. He pulled his keys from his pocket as he walked up to the front door and paused, eyes wide.

There was a dead bird, swarming with flies, in front of the door.

He gripped the bags tighter, hastily looking around. He wasn't going to be caught off guard again. He adjusted the bags in his arms and stepped over the dead animal, flies buzzing like crazy. He opened the door and quickly locked it behind him.

With a heavy sigh, he whistled and waited. For a moment, his heart stopped. There was no response. But then there was the little patter of paws accompanied by a bell jingle as Corporal ran to the entrance hall to greet him.

Chapter 11: Levi tells Kaney to leave and he does; Eren is happy; Eren goes out shopping and runs into Kaney, they talk and Eren tries to go and Kaney gets hella weird; Eren gets freaked out; goes home and sees a dead bird on his porch; checks on the cats and they are fine; He talks with Mikasa and Armin about what is happening; He tells Levi and Levi hires people to come install super security the next day; Levi goes into work, Eren is about to leave the house and gets kidnapped by Kaney

Chapter 12: Levi comes home and sees the mess of their struggle; calls Eren and gets Kaney on the phone instead; calls Erwin and tells him in advance that he's going to kill Kaney; Erwin tells him to wait for the police to help and Levi is basically nope-ing on that; on Levi's way out, he runs into Mikasa (he tells her what happened and that she can either join or get out of his way); Naturally, she joins without hesitation

Chapter 13: Eren waking up in Kaney's house (it's his and Levi's old house); Kaney explains to Eren that he's a killer and he taught Levi everything he knows; he tells him that he's THE killer the SID has been looking for; Eren is calm and tells him that Levi will find him; gets beat; Nifa comes in to tend to Eren and is seemingly bad, turns out to be good (was already doing undercover spy-work on Kaney)

Chapter 14: Levi gets Armin to join in on this (due to his computer tracking skills); they sit and track Eren down and go on a mini-roadtrip across the desert to Levi's old home; cue some big guns and some gunfights; house is filled with cronies and Levi captures one; they torture him to get out info after killing the other cronies (Armin probably does torture as he doesn't like killing); Mikasa gets a call from Kaney; he left Eren's phone in the house (along with a finger + Eren's wedding band) and took him elsewhere; Kaney taunts Levi; Armin tracks the number really fast

Chapter 15: Kaney explains to Eren that he kidnapped him because of Grisha; Grisha and Kaney had a long-term partnership but Grisha backed out and lost Kaney a lot of money + he ended up taking the blame for everything in their botched heist; he went to jail for a while; he's getting revenge by destroying the Jaeger line and it just so happens that Levi is caught up along the way (Kaney was using Levi to get to Eren the entire time); adds that he wants to exchange Eren's life for Mikasa working for him

Chapter 16: They get a plane (Levi demands it of Erwin) and they go to California; Armin stays behind to help Erwin with other tracking business (*cue a somewhat romance between them); Bertholdt and Reiner agree to going, as they want to help; Jean and Marco are currently stationed in Cali. And they definitely help

Chapter 17: Levi and Mikasa share a room at a motel, going over their (*shit ton of) weapons; they have a heart-to-heart; there is some confusion and they are ambushed; cue parking lot fighting/in and out of the rooms fighting; Marco is shot and Levi goes to help him and Bertholdt gets a headshot; Levi feels incredibly guilty (since he failed to cover Bertholdt); Realizes that he needs to do this on his own, let Reiner mourn; he sneaks off to rescue Eren

Chapter 18: (Scene: Warehouse overlooking the water, at night) Levi surrenders to Kaney and finds that Eren is fine and in one piece (Nifa was killed and Kaney used their finger as a decoy); he puts them in a room and allows them to decide who will die; Eren and Levi talk more about their love than anything else; when Kaney comes back, they both try to give themselves up; Kaney doesn't care, he planned on killing them both; Mikasa comes to their rescue; Levi manages to escape (he had planted a razor blade in his belt and wiggled free during all the talking) and frees Eren while Mikasa keeps Kaney busy; during the commotion, Kaney shoots Levi in the leg and tosses him into the ocean, Eren jumps in to save him; Kaney attempts to strike a deal with Mikasa, telling her how great of an assassin she could be, during his speech she shoots him to cut him off; Eren and Levi are saved from the water

Chapter 19: Wrap up chapter; there's a funeral for Bertholdt, Reiner doesn't forgive Levi but also does not blame him; Armin and Erwin are lowkey dating/talking; Levi feels like he can officially cut all ties with his past life, feels bad Mikasa and Eren got caught up in it; Mikasa does not care, as she was the one Kaney wanted; Eren does not care as his life is shared with Levi's

Epilogue: (Scene: Levi and Eren in a car talking about going through with an adopting and if they're ready) They get out, Levi in crutches but definitely fine, and they go to an animal shelter to adopt another cat; they name him Rogue

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who follows me on tumblr, you know how much I love Kenny Ackerman's character. So writing a fic with him was bound to happen. And what better universe to throw him into than that of Danger Line; more gunfights and crimes and twists.  
> I'll track "fic: natural born killer" and "fic: nbk" as well as tag stuff with "fic: danger line" as well :3 <3


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